Most organic / real / analogue sounding DAC (ideally with Volume Control) for $1500??????

Went From Bel Canto 1.7 to 2.7 to Schitt Yggdrasil. The Yggdrasil as mentioned does not have a volume control, and I honestly believe you need a warm/non clinical power amp and tube line stage to have all work in unison. 
I’d go used on the dacs. I have not heard the Ayre Codex. Though it gets a lot of great reviews / recommendations. Maybe about 1,100 to 1,500 USD. Same as the Yggdrasil 

RME ADI-2 fs with Teddy Pardo power supply is very good. Even with stock power supply it’s a great little unit but add the Teddy Pardo and it definitely steps it up and with both is within your budget and has volume. Very neutral but with no fatigue, so not sure if that’s analog enough or not.

Maybe a used Metrum Acoustics Hex or Jade could be had in that price range. NOS R2R ladder by the R2R Guru Cees Ruetenburg. Very analogue sounding, nice sound stage. The Jade has a volume control

Lifelike is my aim, but I certainly prefer a warm, dark sound over clinical.

Life like = real musical prescence = High Fidelity, 
Warm is contrary to this imaging. 
Life like = cold, icy, finely deatiled, nuanced, instrumental separation, human voice , piano voiced perfectly. 
My Cayin CD17 with some Mundorf Silver caps and Sparkoslabs Descrete opamps have some magic of analogue,,, More analogue will flow through , once i get the Jadis DPL modded with new M caps next week.
Its a very fine cd player, however mods are needed, All cdp's need mods to catch up with the best phono players. 
I hate warm/dark,,I do my best to find ways to eliminate warm. And I am acheiving that goal lately. 
To me warm =  certain mid fq's, extended, too forward, too agressive. 

Each his own I guess. I find alot of british and american components to exhibit these defects of warm coloration.
Which is why none of my components are from either country of origin.

Try the Cayin CD17 Mark2 for analogue like sound reproduction.